Report: Roumieh Prisoners Running Terrorist Cells

Security forces and the army have taken strong measures around the country's largest prison over terrorist networks run by inmates and a plan to escape from the facility, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

The daily quoted security officials as saying that the ISF temporarily prevented the passage of vehicles on the road leading to Roumieh prison after suspects told investigators that terrorists were plotting an attack using a bomb-laden truck and inmates were planning a massive escape.

The ISF cited “security reasons” for the heavy measures, which went into effect on Tuesday night, but the officials said police had information that two of the prison's Islamist inmates were managing cells outside the facility.

“A terrorist network that has been recently busted is directly linked to the two prisoners,” they told al-Akhbar.

The authorities have announced the arrest in the past weeks of several suspected terrorists plotting to carry out suicide bombings in Lebanon.

Previous attacks have been claimed by extremists, who have vowed to carry out more assaults to avenge the presence of Hizbullah fighters in Syria.

The Shiite party has sent its members to the neighboring country to fight alongside President Bashar Assad's troops against the Sunni rebels.

Dozens of Islamist inmates are held in Roumieh. They are awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in the clashes between Fatah al-Islam terrorist group and the Lebanese army in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in 2007.

The emir of the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra in al-Qalamoun has recently promised in an audio message to free the Islamist prisoners “within days.”

Abou Malek al-Shami described the inmates as “Muslim captives and jihadist brethren.”

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H.K.